Meet MíChele Daniels | Self-Love Advocate & Founder of MOON + LUX

We had the good fortune of connecting with MíChele Daniels and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi MíChele, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
As a student of yoga for the past 15 years and a certified yoga instructor for the past 8 years, Self-Love has played an immense and vital role in my life. My company MOON + LUX is a Self-Love focused wellness brand specializing in genderless, plant-based and multi-use Self-Care products. The inspiration behind the creation MOON + LUX, is to bring all of us closer to practicing Self-Love through Self-Care all day and every day. The MOON + LUX ethos is Self-Love = Self-Care. I believe Self-Love is the bridge to true happiness, contentment and ultimately a better world for us all. The equation above is simple; when you love YOU you take care of YOU! And loving YOU allows you the capability to love others. I was introduced to holistic healing by my mother and have made its use a practice my entire life – which has included the use of essential and carrier oils. In my early 20’s, shortly after receiving my yoga instructor certification from Caroline Klebel’s Source of Yoga Teacher Training in my hometown of Los Angeles, I became hyper-focused and committed to treating my body and spirit with the utmost care – which included becoming even more intentional than I had ever been about what I put in and on my body. It was during this time that my eyes were opened to how toxic so many everyday products we use are and how this toxicity negatively affects our health. Additionally, I increased my use of essential oils and white sage – a crop of my ancestors – to ease my anxiety, bouts of depression and positively impact my overall mental health. I’ve always loved the saying “Knowledge is Power” and I became determined to create non-toxic, wholesome, body and soul nourishing, plant-based products that achieve real results and have the capability of making positive impacts on people’s lives.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more? What are you most proud of or excited about?

MOON + LUX encourages everyone to take care of and love themselves by staying mindful of how we treat our bodies. At MOON + LUX we believe our bodies are ALL beautiful, amazing and deserve the best love, our utmost care and wholesome, nourishing, grounding and inspiring Self-Care products.

I’m extremely proud of and continue to be humbled and inspired by what MOON + LUX has accomplished and how the brand and myself have evolved within the past 3 years.

Bringing MOON + LUX to people IRL (in real life) is one of the best, most fulfilling parts of growing this brand for me. After encountering so many limitations, including an almost 2 year hiatus doing market events – due to the pandemic – I decided Winter 2021 (once COVID restrictions on events in Los Angeles lifted) that I would continue moving fullforce on the path aligned with my purpose and my intentions in our “new-normal.”

I’m happy to say, since November 2021 MOON + LUX has been a part of 9 market events from Santa Barbara County to Orange County and in between!

I enjoy connecting with and meeting the most amazing and beautiful spirits at events and through collaborations. It’s an honor making those connections and bringing those who I cross paths with closer to practicing Self-Love through Self-Care. The connections I’ve made have landed MOON + LUX a Beauty & Wellness feature in British Vogue, a sponsorship at London Fashion Week and most recently, a collaboration with nationwide indoor cycling company CycleBar where we have joined forces to encourage their riders to practice Self-Care not only on but also off their bikes.

How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way?

I don’t know if there is anything that can truly prepare someone for starting their own business. While it hasn’t been easy, I am grateful for all of the struggles because within those struggles are lessons and opportunities. Staying present and mindful throughout this process has allowed me to grow and given me the confidence to take risks, put in the necessary work, keep my intentions pure and never lose focus of my mission.

I created the first batch of MOON + LUX in the tiny kitchen of my old apartment in the Mid City neighborhood of L.A., bottled it in that same kitchen and packed the few orders that trickled in at the time while sitting on the couch in my living room – each bottle filled and each order packed with the genuine intention of spreading positivity and encouraging the practice of Self-Care.

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

I hope to be an inspiration to young black women, like myself, worldwide to follow their dreams, live within their purpose, and recognize their capabilities regardless of the odds we face. I strive each and every day to contribute to a more inclusive future – a future that acknowledges that everyone’s worth and beauty of spirit MATTERS.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a Los Angelena born and raised so I absolutely love this question! We’d start the day with a morning hike at one of my favorite places in the city, Ernest E. Debs Park and sit by the lake while we watch the sunrise light up Downtown. Afterwards, we’ll head to Cypress Park to pick up some vegan breakfast sandwiches from one of my favorite breakfast spots, Latina and LGBTQ-owned Little Barn Coffee House. We’ll have a breakfast picnic at Elysian Park and then head downtown to Santee Alley to do some crystal shopping at my favorite spiritual store Tenzin. We’ll cruise over to Leimert Park – a historic black neighborhood in Los Angeles – for a midday caffeine fix at Harun Coffee before heading over to Slauson and Overhill for lunch on the patio at Simply Wholesome – a black-owned restaurant and health food store I’ve frequeted my entire life. After we devour our Jamaican patties, plantains and smoothies we’ll head up La Brea to Melrose to stop by the Fairfax Flea Market (aka Melrose Trading Post) to rummage through vintage goods and people watch until our Mani/Pedi appointment at one of the best nail shops in LA, Mi Time on 3rd and La Cienega. For dinner we’ll cruise over to the Westside and up PCH for a delicious Thai meal at Choloada in Malibu. Then we’ll journey back to the Eastside to the Stones Throw Records bar, GoldLine, on Figueroa in Highland Park and listen to the DJ of the evening spin vinyls while we sip stiff cocktails before we make our way over to The Goldfish on York to tear up the dance floor for a few hours. We’ll most likely end the night on the couch at my apartment and surf through the streaming apps on my Apple TV, looking for something to watch, before passing out. My version of a pretty solid day in Los Angeles.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I want to dedicate my shoutout to my support system, my rocks: my family and friends. Thank you all for supporting me and believing in me.

Website: https://www.moonandlux.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonandlux/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moonandluxla

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moonandlux